BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (3/2/14) – The Arkansas State baseball team recorded its first road win of the season as starting pitcher David Owen registered 10 strikeouts in a 5-3 win over UAB at Regions Field in Birmingham, Ala.

Owen fanned 10 Blazers in 5 2/3 innings of work, but didn’t factor in the decision after giving up two runs (one earned) on four hits and two walks. Tanner Ring came in to get the final out of the sixth inning and earned the win after A-State (6-6) scored four runs in the top of the seventh inning. Colton Kibler relieved Tanner Gaines with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to pick up the save and secure the 5-3 win over UAB (10-2) for the Red Wolves.

Trailing 2-1 going into the top of the seventh inning, A-State’s Matt Burgess welcomed UAB reliever Cory Eller to the game with a double to left field. Eller got A-State’s Dustin Jones and Kevin Fitzpatrick to ground out to third to keep Burgess at second base with two outs. Collin Massanelli was called to the plate to pinch-hit for Derek Birginske and hit a sharp ground ball to the Blazers’ shortstop that was bobbled allowing Massanelli to reach safely.

With runners on the corners and two outs, Joe Schrimpf stepped up to the plate and ripped an RBI single to left field to score Burgess to tie the game at 2-2. Ty Michelotti walked in the next at-bat to load the bases and Lucas Feddersen hit an infield single to third base to give A-State a 3-2 lead. Austin Baker stepped up to the plate and hit a ground ball to the UAB second baseman, but the throw sailed wide of first to allow A-State to take a 5-2 lead into the bottom of the seventh.

UAB was able to score one run in the bottom of the ninth after a walk and double placed runners on second and third with one out. Chase Davis grounded out to second to plate one run and make the score 5-3 in favor of the Red Wolves. With two outs, Kibler came into the game and got the potential tying-run Ivan De Jesus to strike out swinging.

Gaines pitched effectively in relief for the Red Wolves tossing 2 2/3 innings and only allowing one run on two hits with one strikeout and one walk. Feddersen led the Red Wolves at the plate with two hits and one RBI, while Schrimpf had one hit and drove in two runs.

After three and a half innings of scoreless baseball, UAB recorded the first run of the game in the fourth inning. The inning began with Ryan Prinzing being hit by a pitch and Griffin Gum hitting a single to right field go put runners on first and third with no outs. Owen was able to get a shallow pop up to left field for the first out, but the Blazers put on a squeeze play to plate Prinzing for a 1-0 lead.

A-State responded in the top of the fifth inning when Jones reached on an error by the SS and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Fitzpatrick. A Birginske single put runners on first and third with one out and the Red Wolves put a squeeze play of their own on with Schrimpf getting the bunt down to score Jones to set the score at 1-1.

UAB took the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning after a one-out triple by Jeff Schalk and a passed ball allowed Schalk to score to give the Blazers a 2-1 lead. UAB threatened to score more after putting runners on first and second with two outs, but Ring came in to get a pop out to third base to end the inning.

The Red Wolves are scheduled to travel to Springfield, Mo., in their next action for a two-game midweek series with Missouri State beginning Tuesday, March 4 at 3 p.m. For in-game updates follow @AStateGameDay on Twitter and stay up to date with A-State baseball by following the team on Twitter (@AStateBaseball) and Facebook (Facebook.com/RedWolvesbaseball).